Organizers of the 14th annual Gen Art Film Festival figured that the somber fare so often presented at indie fests was not going to win over audiences this year, so the slate of films set to premiere during the seven-day run highlight content that is a little more hopeful or uplifting. The fest kicked off Wednesday night at the newly renovated Visual Arts Theater with the premiere of Lymelife, a film set in 1970s Long Island, followed by a party at Chelsea restaurant the Park.
A crowd of 800 people made its way through the packed lobby of the theater, where sponsors such as Dos Equis, Three Olives Vodka, Neutrogena, Insomnia Cookies, and Vapor Water provided product samples, and several of the movie's stars (Alec Baldwin, Jill Hennessy, Rory Culkin) walked a diminutive red carpet. "There's more fun stuff going on at the theaters and at the parties," said Gen Art event director Kaki Stergiou of the many diversions. "This is a fun festival. You can do what you want."
As many as 1,000 guests gathered for the party, where opportunities to interact with the sponsors abounded. The venue's greenhouse-like garden space served as sponsor central, with a Neutrogena makeup station, a photo booth from Three Olives Vodka, and an Acura TL, in which guests received a brief demonstration of the car's navigation and audio system. (Those who did received a wristband that allowed entry to the V.I.P. party upstairs, where servers offered food and champagne, a Wii system provided entertainment, and masseuses gave massages.)
Like the festival's programmers, Stergiou acknowledged the challenges it seems everyone is facing these days, but chose to accent the positive. While some sponsors did pull out this year due to financial issues, she noted vendors' willingness to negotiate on rates and her ease in coming in under budget. Additionally, the unfortunate reality of people losing their jobs has strengthened the organization's labor pool. "We have an amazing system of volunteers," she said. "People want to stay networking in the industry."
